Aftercare
*Note: We use a different brand than "Second Skin" or "Saniderm" now but the general application and aftercare process is identical.
At Sword and Crown Studios we prefer to use Second Skin Tattoo Aftercare bandages. These bandages have been shown to promote a much better heal, a significant reduction in healing time needed, as well as better ink retention in the final heal. They also tend to greatly eliminate any potential risk of infection to the client’s tattoo once you leave the studio.
****** Saniderm Tattoo Aftercare Video ******
Above is a link to their website which features a video that can instruct you on how to apply the bandages that Dave sent you home with.
Tattoos involve injecting ink into the skin using needles. During this process, there is trauma caused to the skin that invokes a healing response. Plasma is a completely normal healing response during this period. Most noticeably, within the first 24 hours you may see a large buildup of plasma underneath your bandage. The plasma will not harm or discolour your tattoo! It can, however, make it difficult for your tattoo bandage to stay on your skin if there is an excessive amount of plasma.
You may need to change your bandage! Luckily Dave sent you home with some spare ones! If he didn’t, you can let him know he failed you and has disgraced his family honour. He will gladly change your bandage for you in the hopes of restoring faith in the tattoo process.
Whether or not you change your bandage, leave it on for an additional three to six days.
When applying the bandage it is important that you first clean and dry the tattoo and surrounding area. If you are removing the bandage it is best to do so in the shower with some warm water, soap and using your fingertips.
Afterwards, pat dry your tattoo with paper towel, or air dry. Do not use a fabric cloth as fibres from the cloth can get trapped on the surface of your healing tattoo and cause complications during the healing process.
Once the area is dry(absolutely no water as the bandage will not adhere properly to your skin) you can start to apply the Second Skin Tattoo Aftercare bandage.
You will want to cut the bandages to the desired length and shape. It is okay to overlap them if needed. For an ideal heal you will want to make sure that the bandage extends at least an inch on each side of the tattoo on dry, un-tattooed skin.
Next you will want to crack the wave of the bandage by folding the sheet in the middle along the blue strip.
Expose the sticky side by peeling off the backing printed with “Second Skin”. On the sheets Dave will give you there will be a smaller, thinner backing sheet that is the ideal piece to remove first. This is the part you will stick to your skin. As you apply the bandage, You will want to slowly remove the other backing as you press firmly down to allow the bandage to adhere to the skin. As you apply the bandage slowly remove any air bubbles until the backing is fully removed and the bandage is adhered firmly to your skin.
Once this step is complete, remove the clear backing of the bandages by peeling the blue “wave” away from the bandage. You can smooth out the bandage on the skin more if needed by pressing out any air bubbles. That being said, the air bubbles will not hurt your tattoo. Most importantly, the bandage needs to adhere completely around your tattoo so that it is air tight and outside contaminates cannot touch your tattoo while it is healing.
Repeat this step as necessary until the fresh tattoo is completely covered and protected.
When it is time to remove the bandage, after removal you can start to apply a light amount of lotion or your preferred tattoo aftercare to your tattoo. It is important to remember that your skin is designed to heal on its own so anything more than lotion or a tattoo aftercare balm can be considered overkill.